christmas bazaar - already!!!!

[helenmc]

Sorry folks bringing up christmas sooooo early, but I've got my first committee meeting next thursday. Our small school used to ages 4-18 years, and this term opened a nursey (babies upwards). Every year we have a fund raising bazaar at the end of November with the standard cakes, books, toys, bottle tombola, cards & gift wrap. So what would YOU like to see/be able to buy at such an event. And what did you like spending your money on as a child?? Going to a few bazaars I seem to end up spending a tenner and coming home with not a lot. So I'm thinking of an arts/craft stall with santa sacks, advent calendars, christmas decs... I know there are a lot of you creative mums out there any ideas for other easy (get the kids to make??) not too time consuming things to do?? Have already got the Bakerross catalogue for inspiration.

Definitelt Christmas dec. I'll buy anything with a bit of holly on it. The children could make salt dough shapes - use festive biscuit cutters to make tree decs that can then be painted or varnished. Stockings are also good, inc. little ones that can take a small gift eg. a jewellery box. I bought several of these last year made from satin or velvet. Also you could get some sheets of newsprint from an art shop and get the children to stamp Christmas designs on it for designer giftwrap. You could also buty some cheap terracotta pots, put some Oasis and a candle cup inside (from a florist) and then stick some dried or artificial festive flowers around. Pop a candle in for a nice table dec.

Sorry about the typos. I'm off to bed!

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Our school always has a biscuit decorating stall where the kids do their own biscuits to take away and eat. They also do a colouring competition and all the entries are laminated to use as place mats, I think they charge 50p a go.

How about a bottle stall? Very popular but needs a little organising. Get all the children at school to bring in a bottle or two of any kind (full and unopened!) Anything from Champagne to Shampoo.
Get some raffle ticket books (of different colours) and sellotape one raffle ticket to each bottle. Fold up the corresponding ticket and put it into a big bucket or barrel. For 50p a go (or less if you like) everyone gets a chance to delve into the barrel and take a ticket. You get to keep the bottle that has your number! Everyone's a winner!!!

I hope I have explained that properly - tell me if it sounds wrong!

One idea we do at our school, is to buy little baskets cheap in bulk and give them out to be returned full.
They sell for a £1 and are great for Christmas presents and sell out really quick.

Another thing we do is to wrap sweets in cellophane with ribbon to sell.

Also nail and hair braiding go down well

The thing that always goes down a storm at our bazaar is a stall selling glittery hairslides etc. for pocket money prices. You have to buy ttem from a cash and carry or similar but they always sell to the little girls. Also agree about pots of bulbs.

brilliant - keep them coming..fridge magnets sound easy and I like the basket idea, and Ghosty - yes you did explain the bottle tombola very well

How about finger/glove puppets. Finger puppets especially could be made from felt, and the sewing involved could be basic enough for children to do - then stick some googly eyes on, plus felt shapes for features, and you'd be away. Santa/snowmen ones to make it seasonal maybe?

Other idea would be home-made play-doh. At a Christmas fundraiser last year I bought heaps of the stuff, much cheaper than from the shops, and it came complete with the recipe. It's dead easy to make, and fun to knead the colours in with children, although the mixture would have to be made by an adult.

Slightly different idea, here goes ... We always do a silent auction. A couple of months before the event we write a begging letter to local shops, companies , beauty salons, health clubs, restaurants etc. asking for donations. On the 'fete day' we give each 'lot' a separate piece of paper where parents can bid a cash amount for the item/service. It really runs itself and you'd be surprised hoe popular it is. This year one mum got a manicure for £7 (no minimum as its all profit for the school) and a teacher bought a year's health club membership for £70 !! On the Monday after the fete we display a sign on the door showing who had bid the most for each item. They then hand over the money for it to the school secretary.

Ooh Mabs , I like that idea I really fancy a head massge. Any any idea where I can get lollipop sticks from, tried a serch last night and found some brilliant places for moulds or molds in USA can't really justify the expense to get 100 sticks sent over. Also am I right in thinking some religions see raffles and tombolas as gambling and won't particpate?

Quakers will not sanction gambling, and some Christians can be very against it - I know someone who wouldn't let a friend decide something on a toss of a coin whilst on church premesis. OTOH I've never been to a C of E or Catholic bazaar that didn't have a raffle, and I've seen goods raffled for Christian Aid.

I've seen lollipop sticks for sale in lakeland shops (not this summer, though), and also in bigger craft shops so it might be worthwhile ringing your local craft supplier. If no joy, then you can get them online here:

www.ss-services.co.uk/catalogue-pages/Lollypop%20Sticks.html

Sorry no link, but I'm not sure how to do them, and don't want to try for the first time tonight, as brain feels fuzzy after too much shopping.

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Ooh, robinw - maybe you can tell me something I've been wondering about for ages re 'sweet in the jar' type things. Now, does some brave soul actually sit down and accuratly count how many there are, or do you just estimate. Go on, spill the beans

A jigsaw challenge went down very well at our last Christmas Fayre. You get three jigsaws of varying levels of difficulty, eg one with a dozen pieces, one with 25, one with 50 and depending on peoples ages they have 30 seconds to complete as much of the jigsaw as they can. A leader board with yellow stickies and numbers done shows people who is in the lead and at the end of the Fayre, the people with best times got a selection box. At 20p a time, we had lots of people trying and make a nice profit.

and btw, I am C of E and we have lots of debate as to exactly what constitutes gambling. We do not have raffles, or games of chance, but games of skill are permitted! There is a very fine line and sme people get very upset over this issue. Is it skill or chance to guess a Teddy's name right, or to guess the number of sweets in a jar? It's a very contentious issue at my church.

That's interesting, lilibet. I'm C of E and we even have a monthly draw for the fabric fund. Also have been to coffee mornings in aid of charity inside the church itself where there have been raffles, and some churches (even Southwark Cathedral) have accepted Lottery money for building work. Personally I don't have a problem with raffles and I do gamble outside of church life (dh and I like to go racing) but I think taking Lottery money is a bit much.

Sorry, am getting miles of the thread.

You can purchase those round wicker type wreaths at a craft store or whatever you can find to make a wreath. Buy some pretty christmas fabric, cut into 3-4 inch squres. Then you take a pointed screwdriver and push the fabric squares into the wicker circle. Only enough to keep them in tight. Do this all over the circle covering all bare spots. Do not cover the back. Afterwards you can buy ribbon any style or size and make bows. Then you attach them anywhere you want. Makes a great colorful door wreath and the kids can do it alone. My dh's aunt makes and sells these for a decent profit. You can even make ones not associated with christmas colors.

sweets in a jar - yes, I have been there and actually counted them all ..... one for the jar, one for me .............. it's a great job to volunteer for!

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Hi SueW - my dh aunt buys them at around 4-5.00 for a large bare wreath. After she is done it cost her about 7.oo-8.00 to make. She sells them anywhere from 20.00 - 35.oo each depending on how nice they look.